ABSTRACT
Academic medicine off ers a unique position at the interface between basic science and clinical practice. No profession is better placed to facilitate translational research. Academic qualifi cations will make you more competitive and clinical academics oft en have more freedom to devise their own job plans. Having an academic slant to your career and CV will improve your employment prospects, as well as providing intellectual stimulation and the opportunity to follow your own ideas. You also have the chance to travel and attend international meetings. With constant restructuring of the NHS having an academic interest can bring funding for your post and help secure employment. For these reasons, and many more, doctors are oft en attracted to it. However, deciding when the time is right for you to enter academic medicine can be diffi cult. In this and the next chapter we will explore various routes into academic medicine and the diff erent points in medical careers this can happen.
